A bit off-topic: Some of us tea-fans have other culinary interests. Yesterday was hubby's birthday, and we opted to go on a guided vineyard hike at Sokol-Blosser Vineyards, where we are also Cellar Club members.

They are a sustainable vineyard, with a LEEDS certified barrel cellar, they use solar power for 20%(?) of their needs, with plans to expand their solar array. They organically farm all of their grapes, though they are not considered an organic winery because they produce for cellaring, which requires some slight non-organic processing methods. Very impressive though, to see their efforts in conservation (as well as to hear their comments on observable climate change and its effect on local agriculture.)

Here are some shots from the day.

Their solar array, put in about 5 years ago. These auto track with the seasons, to maximize solaray collection. Technology has advanced considerably, so the next array will likely be significantly smaller and inversely more powerful.

rows of vines in the Pinot block

The Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project has a number of these boxes all around the property. The birds help with pest control. Many cavity nesters prefer the same size boxes, and this set is inhabited by violet-green swallows rather than bluebirds. These swallows eat prodigious amounts of insects, especially mosquitos.

Poppies planted over a compost area. I can't remember if they were there for pest control or soil enrichment.

Typical Oregon day: big puffy clouds, mixed with rain clouds, and a little sunshine. The clouds have split around the hilltop where we are standing. Directly above is blue sky, you can see the sun goes down the hill to the bottom of this block, then it's shaded by clouds. (You can also see a BIG ol' sensor dust spot in the clouds. )

This is Quincy, a 3 year old yellow dog that accompanied us on our hike. Here he is looking for someone to throw his ball for him. He was VERY well-behaved.

In the new sections of the vineyard, the posts are metal. Sokol-Blosser is an organic producer of fruit, though not an organic "wine" producer. The old sections are not required to have the wood posts removed, but new sections must not use wood, due to posts being impregnated with arsenic and other chemicals which can leach into the soil.

At the end of the hike and tour, we stopped at this olive farm and herb garden called Red Ridge Farms. They are olive farming, news to me! We learned about olive oil production, and I think it finally convinced my husband to buy craft olive oils. Lovely grounds, and they have a Bed and Breakfast on site, with a hilltop view in all directions.

Last, but very definitely not least, we enjoyed a winery picnic lunch, catered by a local company, using all local and/or sustainably harvested ingredients, as well as wines from Sokol-Blosser. Magnificent!

I've been preoccupied with family affairs over the last month and a half, so my participation here has been limited... but I just want to say that your photographs are FANTASTIC, and I love your sharing each of these images with us. An artist friend of mine says that most people excel at either colour or composition, but I think you have an exquisite gift for both.

P.S. Love the "sharks with frikken laser beams". Sometimes good equipment makes all the difference eh

I've been preoccupied with family affairs over the last month and a half, so my participation here has been limited... but I just want to say that your photographs are FANTASTIC, and I love your sharing each of these images with us. An artist friend of mine says that most people excel at either colour or composition, but I think you have an exquisite gift for both.

P.S. Love the "sharks with frikken laser beams". Sometimes good equipment makes all the difference eh

I'm sorry about the family matters. I hope things are starting to get back to normal for you. Thanks for the kind words about my photos. It really means a lot.

EE: You must become a master at finding inexpensive wares! I like some of my "dollar" finds and swaps as much as my "collector" items.

geeber: I KNOW!!! Olives in NW Oregon!!! Who'da thought, eh?

hooksie: eek! technical questions... Hmmm. I don't use polarizing filters often for still-life, unless I'm using natural back-sunlit, then I need to remove a little glare from the tea surface. Usually I only use a CPL when I'm shooting outdoors, mid-day, sunshine or on water. It kind of takes the edge off of things.

I would say if a photo is processed correctly you shouldn't be able to tell if a CPL was used or not. Probably even if it's not processed correctly. Sometimes I can make an educated guess regarding ND filters - for instance long exposure photos in full daylight almost certainly are using ND filters. Usually I can't tell though, unless the shooter indicates whether it was used or not.

cory, I'm not sure, I picked them up in a swap. They are sweet, huh? Tiny little things, maybe 60ml? Perfect for puerh or aged oolong.

More pics soon, I hope. I've been in and out of town, and have about 1000+ pics to process from my travels. None of them tea related. Ha! But I do have some lovely new teaware pieces that are just begging to show off a little.